Aerin Westlake, Henry Clifton, Piper Bailey and Arun Bissoondutt competed in the Pan Pepin International Regatta hosted by Club Nautico de San Juan in Puerto Rico from February 14-17, 2026. Left is coach James Campbell. Photo: RBVIYC

126 boats from 16 countries and territories competed in the 2026 Pan Pepin International Regatta hosted by Club Nautico de San Juan of Puerto Rico. Photo: Club Náutico de San Juan

Piper Bailey at the 2026 Pan Pepin International Regatta in Puerto Rico. Photo: Club Náutico de San Juan

There were a total of 126 boats from 16 countries and territories. All four of the VI sailors were entered into the Optimist Championship fleet, which consisted of 47 boats.

Challenging first day of sailing

On Saturday, February 14, 2026, the racing commenced after an hour and a half postponement while sailors waited for the wind to fill in. When the sailors were permitted to launch, they had a long 5-mile tow out to the race area, which was situated in the Atlantic between the forts of San Cristóbal and San Felipe del Morro. When the VI sailors arrived at the race area, the wind was very light, approximately 6 knots, with a long swell from the north.

The sailing turned out to be hard and unusual for the VI sailors, with the starts proving to be particularly demanding. "Being stuck in the pack made it challenging for them to punch through the wall of dirty air that the fleet put out," the Royal BVI Yacht Club stated.

Sunday sail

On Sunday, the wind picked up to 16 knots, and the sea kicked up as well with 7-foot swells. There was also a wind-driven cross chop coming from a different direction. Coach James Campbell did state, “It was like sailing in a washing machine”. The starts were still an issue with the VI sailors not pushing up to the line, but with the added wind, it allowed both Aerin and Henry to punch through the fleet.

The highlight of the day was Aerin rounding Mark 1 and 2 in 16th place. The challenging conditions pushed all of the VI sailors, and Arun and Piper both pushed through to complete every race.

Improvement Monday

On Monday, the last day of racing, the sailors again received the light wind of day one, but with the cross chop and big swell of the day before.

"The kids sailed their hearts out with all four showing improvements throughout the regatta. As they continue to develop their skills, attending these bigger fleet regattas is really important to help build on experience," RBVIYC stated.

Results

33 - Aerin Westlake (best race 26th)

34 - Henry Clifton (best race 29th)

38 - Arun Bissondutt (best race 34)

40 - Piper Bailey (best race 38)